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Post by Tismri on Dec 19, 2012 23:20:05 GMT -5
Marola blinked and brought herself out of her dazed state. Now was not the time to be wallowing in pity. She needed to be strong for her family and find a way to bring her wayward children home.
"Yes...we do need more Rider friends," Marola agreed with her husband she stood from her position on the floor, her mind already working. "Yet, I cannot help but think we need more than that. Our enemy is a Rider, but she is also a Shade, and Shades alone are nearly impossible to slay. And she has countless underlings at her beck and call, including our daughter...and that thing." Her voice was filled with disgust as she referred to Tyrant. She regretted that they had not been able to kill him before. Slippery bastard always managed to get away.
A thought crossed her mind swiftly, though she as always kept it hidden from Rauthr and Cortell. But she felt it might be their best chance. Though she hated to consider it, she knew the dark Family may very well be their best hope. Secret allies...no one knew who they all were, but Marola knew they would be a powerful asset to their cause. From her last visit to the hidden sanctuary, she gathered that Lucien felt they were threatened by the Shade's Army. He had even sent Elijah undercover among them.
"We will get Glory back," she promised Marcus. "And Daeron as well."
~~~~~
Lyta was busying herself staring at Eos, who was a much larger dragon than she'd last seen her. She wondered if Tally's dragon would ever get that big, and how big Glory's dragon was. She frowned slightly when that thought crossed her mind. She missed Glory; she never understood why her sister had needed to go to Bromsland, and she was still hoping every day that she would come back.
She was taken out of these thoughts when Tally grabbed her to carry her to the woods, and the little girl shrieked with delight. She always enjoyed going to the woods, though she wasn't allowed to go alone. She stared at the hatchling that was nosing her face and grinned widely.
"So what'cha gonna name it, Tally?" she asked her sister.
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Post by Max452 on Dec 19, 2012 23:25:19 GMT -5
Antien felt a moment of guilt for allowing Eva and Eos to embark on their journey as he faced the scowling mother of the Rider he had fallen in love with. However, that guilt vanished and was replaced to worry and concern as he sensed Eva's eyes on them. His grey eyes glanced over to Eva and spotted her angry, and especially pained face. She darted off then and instinctively, Antien reacted. "Eva!" He had taken a step toward them as they darted off toward the woods, but stopped himself when he remembered the company he kept. The elf blinked his emotions into hiding as he gazed back at Gianna, Einar, and Elaine.
"Perhaps, I am too close to the matter to have thought clearly, Argetlams." He told them, wanting to go to Eva to comfort her in some way. "However, Eva is strong, not in just will, but in heart. She was and is determined to rescue Gloriann and Sundavar. She will not be deterred and would have left with or without my consent. Knowing this, I decided to accompany, if only to ensure her safety." His grey eyes flickered over to Elaine, and instantly they grew sad, "It seems that it was I who was not strong enough to do so."
Einar regarded the elf with his careful eyes, noticing the fine details of the male's face. Was...was Antien in love with Eva? That couldn't be good. Not only was age a huge factor, but Einar felt his daughter was not ready for a relationship, especially with an elf! Or perhaps, that was his fatherly protectiveness' opinion.
"However, you are right, Argetlam Gianna. Our opponents are much stronger than ever before, Eva was ill prepared, and so was I." His eyes grew more determined as he gazed into her emerald eyes, which reminded him so much of Eva. "But you cannot shy her away from this - her duty will not permit it. She is meant for greatness, Argetlam, and if I may be so bold, she will surpass the previous generation; I have confidence in that. Allow her the chance, and me as well, to train her properly - to help her became the great woman and Rider I know she capable of becoming." Antien declared, suprising himself at the declaration and boldness he bestowed against the Riders, but he spoke true. Eva needed to be prepared and he was not going to allow her to be harmed again, not while he could help it. He glanced over at Einar, who simply seemed contemplative, and back at Gianna.
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Post by Trinn on Dec 20, 2012 18:58:00 GMT -5
The anger that had filled Gianna began to vanish, leaving in its wake a sense of loss. Eva was no longer a little girl to be pampered and protected. Eva was a full grown woman, and the elf seemed to have noticed. "Then it seems my thanks is in need." She finally said, the trace of a sigh in her voice. "I know Eva is strong willed. I am grateful that you decided to go with her, rather than leave her to go by herself. So it appears I am in your debt for that, too. No doubt Eva would have perished quite quickly under those shades had you not been there as well."
"Aye, and do not doubt your worth, Antien." Elaine threw in. "Eridor and I would have been hard pressed to beat to shades if we were cornered alone with them. Our combined strength was what won us that fight." Gianna nodded, accepting the truth of it.
She took Einar's hand in her own then, as much for comfort as for reassurance. "You say you wish to train Eva? What more could you teach her? She went through the classes in Bromsland, she passed the tests. I fear the only teacher left to her is experience itself."
***
"What more is there?" Marcus said wistfully, his voice faint. What force was greater than a dragon rider? Shades would not rally to their side, that was for certain. And even if they wanted to, Marcus would never accept their help. They were abominations that needed to be destroyed. "Come, let us see what our friend Elaine is up to. She was always a good friend to Celesti when we were but a wandering tribe." he said, looking from Marola to Cortell.
***
Tally moved through the woods in the path of Eos. The dragon's trail was easy to follow. Crushed grass and scraped trees were obvious. Not to mention the swirls in the dirt where the dragon's tail had passed over. Her hatchling had settled down, and Tally thought she could feel a sense of contentment in the little one's mind. "I don't know yet." She said, raising a hand to absentmindedly stroke the soft baby scales of her dragon's head. "I have a few ideas... but it's hard to say without knowing whether this one's a boy or girl."
"It's a boy." Eva said from up ahead, surprising Tally. "That's what Eos says, anyways." Tally pondered over the names she had picked out, wondering which would be more appropriate.
"I shall decide his name when he has more of a conscious." Tally said aloud, deciding. "I heard once that dragons like to help pick their names. I've even heard of dragons changing their names!"
"It's true." Eva said knowingly. "But rare."
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Post by Max452 on Dec 21, 2012 0:31:35 GMT -5
"You both praise me highly; it is not needed. I only did what I had to in order to protect Eva." Antien told both women. He felt he did not deserve their thanks and praise; after all, Eva did get harmed. But no longer. He would not be useless to her and she would become stronger. At this thought he turned his attention to Gianna once more. "You raise an important inquiry, Argetlam Gianna. Eva has progressed as much as she can in Bromsland and the honing of those skills is what she mostly requires now; she is one of the best swordsmen and magicians out of her generation. However, all her skills did little against the Shade she fought; she would have died if Argetlam Elaine did not interfere." He glanced at Elaine and then back at Eva's mother. "She needs more training, more knowledge to make her movements more fluid and confident. I am skilled in the art of hand to hand combat more than I am with the bow and the blade. It is because of this skill I have become a master in both aspects; it has given me confidence in myself and I know that it will do the same for Eva. Most of the Riders in Bromsland have been trained to use weapons to protect themselves, but I wish to train Eva in not only that, but more. She will learn to flow like the wind, strike like the snake, and protect like the earth. It is the best tool against these Shades; they fight at distances and cower in closeness. Eva will be skilled to fight in both, making her a well rounded warrior and Rider. With your permission, I wish to do this, for I cannot bear for her to be harmed the way she was again." Antien admitted to Einar and Gianna.
***
Einar remained quiet as his comrades all spoke to one another. His mind was mostly focused on Eva. A part of him was happy that she had become a Rider, for she could have the benefits of having a constant companion and that of longevity, however, the other, was fearful because of the duties it demanded. She would have to kill and place herself in unnecessary dangers in order to protect those who could not protect themselves. It made his heart ache for her to endure those trials and even more fearful that she and Ian may end up like him; a murder that had to constantly fight back the blood lust.
He felt Gianna's grip then and returned it equally for comfort. Antien's words were appealing and even believable, but the father in Einar was still ever hesitant to place his daughter in harm's way. He glanced over to his wife and then back at Antien. "I do not wish for my daughter to become a tool for death, Master elf." Einar replied.
"She will not be; she is a protector Argetlam. Trust your daughter to make the right decisions." Antien reasoned. "She has both your noble heart's and sense of right and wrong. I see that now; she will be a fine warrior, much like Argetlam Elaine." The elf glanced over at Elaine with a kind smile.
"I am still weary of this...Gianna?" Einar asked his wife what she thought on the whole matter.
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Post by Trinn on Dec 21, 2012 13:56:51 GMT -5
Antien spoke convincingly, and Gianna found herself hanging onto his words. She could see how Eva would benefit from his training, and she felt pride in her daughter at the praise Antien gave to Eva. It was a great compliment for him to compare her daughter to Elaine. But what convinced Gianna the most was her own memories. She remembered being a young girl Eva's age, unexperienced, with hardly any knowledge of how to survive, let alone how to fight. Already Eva know more than she did at that age, and yet, Gianna could see it was still not enough. Even so there was a lingering doubt in the back of her mind. Would it be wise to leave Eva in the hands of Antien? The elf seemed to care about her daughter too much, for being acquaintances.
"I think... that we should let him train Eva further." Gianna said, after having thought it all out. "I only wish Ian was here to train with her." she said sadly.
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Post by Tismri on Dec 21, 2012 14:40:12 GMT -5
Marola did not reply to Marcus' question; how could she? The Family was a jealous secret known only to themselves. But she felt it may be time for them to come out of the shadows, at least by the tiniest of margins, to fight against this mutual foe. She followed Marcus out of the house, but Cortell spotted his sisters and cousin heading off into the woods.
"I'm going to keep a watch," he said. His voice was still a bit shaky from relaying the facts of Daeron's disappearance to his mother. Marola could tell at a glance that he was concerned something similar might happen to any of the others.
"Go ahead," she told him, "Just see that your sisters are home before dark." She continued to walk with Marcus until she spotted Elaine and the elf from earlier, along with Einar and Gianna. She smiled at them all, but knew she would have to speak with Elaine alone soon, to at least confer with her on her idea.
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Post by Max452 on Dec 22, 2012 1:08:11 GMT -5
Einar contemplated Gianna's decision for a moment, gauging his own emotions on the topic. He gave his wife a small smile. "Aye, I wish Ian was here with her too; but it seems wyrda desires their paths to be separate a bit longer." He kissed her gently on the top of her forehead, having not cared for the display of public affection for years now. "He'll be all right; Eva too." He assured his wife as he turned to Antien. "You have our permission, Antien, to train Eva. We are trusting you with our daughter, with her life." He made eye contact with Antien and a silent threat was passed from father to elf.
"I understand, Argetlam Einar, I will take care of her." Einar nodded, assured...for now. "If you excuse me, Argetlam Einar, Argetlam Gianna, and Argetlam Elaine, I wish to inform Eva of this new situation; I would like to see if she approves of it."
Einar gave a nod, though his mind was whirling with thoughts about Antien and Eva. Was there something romantic going on between them? He would have to speak with Gianna about her thoughts later.
"Thank you."
"Supper is in an hour, please make sure she and the other children are back." Einar added to the departing elf.
"I will." Antien assured as he directed himself to the woods, giving Argetlam Marola and Marcus a respectful nod.
***
As Antien departed, Einar's eyes caught sight of Marola and Marcus. He gave them both a warm smile, as they approached, but it dimmed a bit as he thought of Marola's pain. Both Daeron and Glory were gone. He could not imagine the worry, pain, and stress she was experiencing. He sought her eyes, asking a simple question: Are you okay?
***
It was quite easy to locate the path that Eos took, as the clawprints and crushed brush and trees were any indication. He quietly searched for Eva, worried for her as he recalled her angry expression. He spotted them, grouped together and talking about the hatchling. He watched Eva for a moment, before any of them could notice, and smiled lightly to himself; it was nice to see her with her friends. Feeling like he would intrude, Antien turned to leave them be.
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Post by Trinn on Dec 22, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Tally and Eva were discussing names for the hatchling when Eos picked up her head, catching the scent of Antien. The hatchling himself was romping around Lyta, nipping playfully at the little girl's clothes. Wordlessly Tally scooped up the dragon, to prevent it from accidentally harming Lyta.
"Hello, Antien." Eva said, staring at the elf's retreating back. "Done speaking with my parents so soon?" Tally stared in the direction Eva was looking, her eyes wide with interest. Eva remembered a time when she had been astounded by elves too. Now it seemed strange to find them surprising.
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Post by Max452 on Dec 22, 2012 13:36:27 GMT -5
Antien smirked to himself as he heard Eva's voice calling out to him. He turned himself around with ease and smiled at the four females. "Aye, I managed to escape their concerned wrath for now." He gave her a knowing look. "You seem quite eager to leave me to fend for myself." He teased. He glanced over at Eva's cousins. "I did not mean to intrude on your conversation with one another. I had wish to speak with Eva and EOS privately, but I may do so at a later time; time among family is precious. Eva, your father says that supper is in an hour and would like all of you to be there. I will speak with you at another time, Eva. " Antien told the yellow rider, wishing that he could have some time with her. He motioned to move further into the woods to enjoy the area and perhaps meditate on some things.
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Post by Trinn on Dec 22, 2012 14:16:23 GMT -5
Tally stared at the elf, wondering why he was acting weird. Perhaps that was just how all elfs acted. Yet there was a specific tension she felt between Antien and Eva, and Tally suddenly felt like she was the intruder. A flash of yellow eyes, in the shadow of a tree, was next to catch her gaze. The werecat that had followed her and Zee around was watching her. "No!" she said suddenly, "stay, Antien. I should get little Lyta back to town, anyways. Come on, Lyta." Tally took her little sister's hand again, leading her off down the path, back towards Celesti. As she had hoped, the werecat followed. She wanted to speak to the mystical beast again.
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Post by Max452 on Dec 22, 2012 14:38:29 GMT -5
Antien stopped his movements at Tally's shout. He was surprised and his eyes were the only indication of it. "I thank you..." Antien watched Tally and Lyta depart with confused eyes. Once they were alone, Antien turned back to look at Eva and Eos. Now that they were alone, Antien found himself lost in his words. Where to begin? Should he tell her about his decision to train her first or inquire about her feelings? He took a step toward her, but his eyes were glancing at Eos and then back at her quite frequently that he had felt it was probably awkward if she noticed. He breathed in heavily and let it out quickly. It seemed his emotions were really dominating him lately. "How are you feeling, Eva?" He asked her as he approached her more. "We did not get a good chance to talk after the attack." He stopped before her, a good foot keeping them apart.
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Post by Tismri on Dec 23, 2012 1:53:13 GMT -5
Marola gave Antien a nod as she passed by him and continued on toward the others. She did not miss Einar's questioning gaze as they drew more near, and she understood. Oddly, there were times when she thought Einar knew exactly what she was thinking. It was almost as if they were meant to be siblings, their lives were so similar. She met his gaze with a determined expression, but that did not hide the sorrow that still lingered. She almost seemed to tell him, No, I'm not okay, but that doesn't matter. What matters is getting my children home. She turned and gave Elaine a brief half-smile.
"I am glad you and Eridor have made it safely, Argetlam," she said. "And, despite the circumstances, it is good to see you."
~~~~~
Lyta was having fun with the dragon hatchling, roaming around with him until Tally took him away. She still giggled and eyed him constantly until the elf from before came into view. He facinated her; she'd never seen a man look so...pretty...before. She was about to ask him a question when Tally suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Aw, but we only just got here, Tally!" she whined. "Why can't we all stay here?" She glanced back to where Eva and Eos were talking with the elf when she noticed that Tally wasn't exactly guiding them back home. She turned her attention back to where they were going and she was immediately mesmerized by the sight of a werecat.
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